Discovered by Torrent Freak, an American website that analyses file sharing, a number of films and pornographic clips were downloaded in the hub of the Roman Catholic church.

The Vatican is home to around 800 permanent residents, including the newly elected Pope Francis, as well as priests, officials and security.

‘Over in the Vatican, pirates are having the time of their lives downloading some quite eye-watering media. We spotted some downloads to get pulses racing. It seems that while Vatican dwellers aren’t all that interested in Hollywood movies, they do enjoy adult-related celluloid,’ the writers of Torrent Freak said.

An asylum seeker who claims she is at risk of homophobic persecution is due to be deported to Uganda on Wednesday evening at 8pm from Heathrow Airport.

Named as “Mary K”, Movement for Justice (MFJ) said: “She came to Britain – a country that has signed numerous international declarations on LGBT rights – in order to escape persecution and be able to live safely without having to hide her sexuality.”

In recent weeks, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has attempted to deport several asylum seekers to Uganda.

A new poll finds that for the first time in over forty years, a clear majority of people are now in favor of the legalization of marijuana. But will we see legalization in our lifetime?

The survey, which was conducted by Pew Research Center, found that 52 percent of people nationwide favor legalizing pot, while 42 percent oppose it. Support for legalization has increased 11 points since 2010. Meanwhile, only 12 percent supported legalization in 1969, and 84 percent were against the policy.

The Pew poll also found that 72 percent of Americans believe that moves by the feds to enforce marijuana laws are not worth the cost. And 60 percent of those surveyed say the federal government should not enforce marijuana laws in states that allow legal use.

The Uruguay Parliament is expected to give final approval on Wednesday to a bill which seeks to legalize gay marriage in the nation.

The Uruguay Senate overwhelmingly approved the measure earlier this month and sent it back to the lower house, which approved it in December. A second vote is needed to approve changes made to the bill in the Senate.

Modifications made in the Senate are not considered controversial and the legislation is expected to easily clear the lower house (la Camara de Diputados).

The Montana House on Tuesday approved a bill which seeks to repeal the state’s law making gay sex a crime. A final House vote could come as early as Wednesday.

The House approved the measure 64-36 after a short but at times emotional debate.

“It’s not about encouraging a lifestyle,” Rep. Bryce Bennett, a Democrat and the Legislature’s only openly gay member, told colleagues. “It’s simply about respecting privacy between two adults. … It’s just as simple as saying that all Montanans deserve dignity and respect.”

Some cities have withdrawn free rent and other subsidies from the Boy Scouts over the years, but legislation introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara would make California the first state to target the Scouts for its anti-gay policy.

California lawmakers are considering taking some tax exemptions away from youth groups that do not accept gay, transgender or atheist members – a move intended to pressure the Boy Scouts of America to lift its ban on gay Scouts and troop leaders.

Some cities have withdrawn free rent and other subsidies from the Boy Scouts over the years, but legislation introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara would make California the first state to target the Scouts for its anti-gay policy.

The Long Beach Democrat’s bill, SB 323, is scheduled for its first committee hearing on Wednesday.

“Our state values the important role that youth groups play in the empowerment of our next generation; this is demonstrated by rewarding organizations with tax exemptions supported financially by all Californians,” Lara said. “SB 323 seeks to end the unfortunate discriminatory and outdated practices by certain youth groups.”

This week we reported the detention of prominent HIV/Aids activist Paul Kasonkomona, who was picked up from Muvi TV station in Lusaka by Woodlands police for questioning after his appearance on a live program called ‘The Assignment’, where he called for same-sex relationships to be decriminalized. He is still in detention.

It would seem this is an issue of free speech – noting that homosexual acts are illegal in deeply conservative Zambia. On all accounts, there seem to be no appropriate charges and Kasonkomona may be the subject of unlawful detention.

The detention is not only causing rebuke internationally, but a well deserved outcry from a local Zambian, Reverend Kapya Kaoma, who has written an article in the Lusaka Times, questioning the democratic principles of Zambian authorities:

Following the Supreme Court hearings on marriage equality, I wrote a piece here on this BLOG titled ‘Marriage is nothing without job protections’. One of the described protections that could be put in place was an executive order protecting employees of federal contractors that then candidate and now President Obama campaign-promised back in 2008. Five years later we still have no such executive order.

Yesterday a coalition of equal rights organizations put out a report showing that roughly $300 billion taxpayer dollars go to federal contractors in states where the LGBT community has NO job protections!

In 2012 alone, $293 billion contract dollars were awarded in states that have no state-level nondiscrimination protections for gender identity/expression, with $249 billion of that total going to states that also have no protections for sexual orientation.

The federal government has seen the need to protect its own LGBT employees but those protections do not extend to the employees of independent federal contractors who employee 20% of the American work force! We have heard for a long time now that the executive order is ‘done’ and just waiting for the President to pick up a pen and to sign. Some of us have even done actions delivering pens to Obama for America offices in case he just can’t find one. But as I reported last week it is all ‘dreams and waiting’ with the President for a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which in the meantime is just more and more LGBT discrimination left unchecked.